Philly311’s Winter Weather Call Guide for Cold Weather

City of Philadelphia

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At Philly311 when temperatures drop, our calls go up. To help you plan for the season, we created this helpful guide. Here are some of the most common topics we get calls about when snow and chilly temperatures are in the forecast.

ReadyPhiladelphia Alert

You can stay up to date on emergencies and severe weather by signing up for ReadyPhiladelphia alerts. To receive text alerts to your phone, text ReadyPhila to 888-777. Find more information on ReadyPhiladelphia.

Snow Emergency Routes/plowing

When a Snow Emergency is announced, specific streets must be clear of cars for plowing. Cars left on Snow Emergency routes will be ticketed and towed to other parking spots to assist in snow plowing operations. If your car is moved, call 215-686-SNOW/7669 to find it. Do NOT call 911.

Homeless Outreach

Prolonged exposure to the cold can cause serious bodily harm such as hypothermia and frostbite. If you see a person who is homeless and in need, please call the Homeless Outreach hotline at 215-232-1984.

Dog or pet in extreme cold

Prolonged exposure to extreme cold is also very dangerous to pets. If you see a dog or other pet outside during extreme cold, call the Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly) hotline at 267-385-3800.

Power outages

Harsh winter weather can sometimes lead to power outages. If you experience an outage visit, report it to PECO.

Fallen tree

Severe wind can knock down trees. If a tree has fallen on electrical wires, call PECO’s emergency line at 1-800-841-4141. Do not approach the fallen tree or electrical wires. For non-emergency tree requests such as fallen branches, call 311 to report with the exact address.

Sidewalks

Within six hours of the end of a snowfall, you must clear a path at least three feet wide on the sidewalk in front of your property. To report uncleared sidewalks, call 311 with the exact address.

School closings/early dismissals

For weather-related Philadelphia School District closings, delays, or early dismissals, visit www.philasd.org. The website will automatically include an alert at the top of each page with the appropriate information.

SEPTA

For the most up-to-date SEPTA travel alerts check twitter.com/SEPTA. SEPTA’s twitter frequently updates with important information.

Print or download this helpful guide of information and important phone numbers. Hang it up on your fridge or another common area in your home.